Bank Secrecy Act

The Bank Secrecy Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1970 to detect and prevent money laundering within financial institutions. The BSA requires financial institutions to keep records and provide... more +

The Bank Secrecy Act is a United States federal statute enacted in 1970 to detect and prevent money laundering within financial institutions. The BSA requires financial institutions to keep records and provide documentation to authorities for single transactions of more than $10,000 and report other suspicious account activity that could signify money laundering or other financial crimes. less -

The civil money penalty was surprising for two reasons: first, that FinCEN would investigate and fine a casino unfamiliar even to analysts who cover the gaming industry, on an island chain few knew existed; and second, for...more

A recent decision of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals illustrates the futility of expecting that the Fifth Amendment Privilege Against Self-incrimination will shield taxpayers from production of offshore financial records. ...more

On July 20, the Department of the Treasury published a Notice and Request for Information (“RFI”) seeking comment on various aspects of online marketplace lending, including –
- the business models and products offered...more

Any person who, in its trade or business, receives cash in the amount of more than $10,000 in a single transaction or a series of related transactions must file Form 8300, Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000, Received in a...more

FinCEN has many important responsibilities but one of its more interesting assignments is oversight of anti-money laundering compliance by casinos (and card clubs). Casinos are under increasing scrutiny these days for lax AML...more

A new report issued by the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) identifies top safety and soundness risks to national banks and federal savings associations, as well as OCC supervisory priorities for the...more

Virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, once a novel means of exchange, have become so commonplace that in May of this year the New York Stock Exchange created a first-of-its-kind index (the “Index”) representing the U.S. dollar...more

Why it matters -
In a coordinated effort, the U.S. government identified another “poster child” to demonstrate its continued vigilance and earnestness in pursuing lax BSA/AML procedures and oversight and violations of...more

In a recent post we described a number of steps taken over the last year by the primary federal regulator for casinos – the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) – that should cause casino operators to have Title 31...more

In a recent post we described a number of steps taken over the last year by the primary federal regulator for casinos – the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) – that should cause casino operators to have Title 31...more

This month on the anticorruption front, an energy company announces the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has declined to bring charges following an Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)-related investigation, the protracted...more

Today, FinCEN announced the assessment of a civil money penalty against a Los Angeles-based Money Services Business (MSB) and its owner for alleged violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). During a 2011 examination of the...more

A series of recent federal enforcement actions targeting weaknesses in financial institutions’ Bank Secrecy Act/anti–money laundering (BSA/AML) compliance programs continued on June 15, when the Department of Justice (DOJ),...more

On June 18, FinCEN’s Associate Director for Enforcement, Stephanie Brooker, delivered remarks at the Bank Secrecy Act Conference, focusing on three main areas: (i) BSA filing trends, the value of BSA data, and compliance...more

Why it matters -
The member banking agencies of the Office of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) will soon promulgate a “Cybersecurity Assessment Tool” for use by community banks after a pilot...more

On June 15, multiple federal agencies issued a $4.5 million penalty against a local bank that admitted to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. The coordinated enforcement action by multiple agencies...more

On June 15, FinCEN announced a $4.5 million civil money penalty against a West Virginia-based bank for alleged violations of the BSA from 2008 through 2013. According to the Assessment of Civil Money Penalty, the bank failed...more

An often overlooked filing obligation is the annual June 30 requirement to file the FBAR form for taxpayers with foreign bank accounts aggregating over $10,000. Late FBARs are a consistent problem and the IRS has a long...more

On May 29, a Michigan-based money service business (MSB), along with its owner, admitted to repeated violations of the BSA and have agreed to pay FinCEN a civil money penalty in the amount of $12,000. The company violated the...more

On June 3, FinCEN announced a $75 million civil money penalty against an international casino for alleged “willful and egregious” violations of the BSA. As detailed in the Assessment, the casino (i) failed to develop and...more

Individuals and organizations with a financial interest in or signature authority over a foreign financial account, in which the aggregate value of the accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point in 2014, may need to file FinCEN...more

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